Chapter 17
“You think they’ll run?” Clover asked quietly as Micah pulled into the Walmart parking lot.
Not her first choice, but the three women needed clothes and food and this was a one-stop shop for everything.
But in the back of her mind she was worried they’d pack up and split.
They didn’t have a vehicle but she had a feeling that wouldn’t stop them.
“They’ll think about it, but no.” Micah shook his head, the man seemingly unflappable.
“They’re going to crash hard tonight.”
“No doubt. Look…you’re sure you want to be involved in this? I’m used to this kind of stuff, but—”
“I’m helping my friend. Even if she wasn’t my friend, at this point I’d still help.” Something he should know by now. Annoyed, she got out of the truck and grabbed the first cart she saw. She was the one who’d brought him into this, she didn’t need or want to be sheltered from anything.
“Clover.” Micah’s voice was calm and soothing as he took over pushing the cart. “I wasn’t trying to insult you. I just want to keep you safe, that’s all.”
“I don’t need another brother.”
“I don’t want to be your brother,” he practically growled.
She shot him a surprised look, but he was already turning into the produce section.
Her entire body heated up at his words and tone, but she had no idea how to respond. Or if there was a response. Part of her thought she was reading into his words, but no…she’d seen some of the looks he’d given her. She wasn’t stupid.
But getting involved with him would be stupid. Beyond so. Their families were about to unite. As in, till death do us part. And she knew her brother would be with Berkley forever. So getting involved with Micah…no.
No matter how much she wanted him. And it was like everything he did made her want him more. She was at the point where he was all she could seem to think about. And she found herself smiling whenever he texted her.
That was all it took. Just seeing his name on her screen and her entire mood shifted—lifted.
And that was dangerous. Men made women stupid. She’d been there before, looking like a fool to everyone in their friend group. Deep down, she knew that they all just sucked, but it still hurt. She’d vowed never to let a man make her feel so stupid again. So used.
“Should we stay the night with them or is that too weird?” Clover slipped on a St. Patrick’s Day headband with dancing four-leaf clovers onto her head as they passed a clearance display.
Micah snickered and grabbed one for himself.
She couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped as he wore it shopping. For such a hot guy, he didn’t seem to take himself seriously—except when it mattered. And it made her a little nuts that she loved that about him.
“I think it’ll stress them out too much.” He plucked a box of her favorite cereal from one of the racks.
“Ooh, my favorite.”
“I know. It’s for you.”
Oh. She had no idea how to respond to that.
So she didn’t. Instead she turned the focus back on the women.
“I guess at the end of the day if they want to run, they can run. I just hate feeling so powerless.” Maeve had given them a few more details before they’d left and she’d basically been a prisoner in her parents’ home the last few years.
Sure, her cage was gilded, but it was still a cage and she had no freedom.
As they turned down another aisle, she grabbed her favorite fruit gummies.
“You have the palate of my nephews.”
She sniffed slightly, but didn’t argue. Because he wasn’t wrong. “The only thing left to get now is some pajamas and undies and stuff.”
He let out a startled laugh. “Did you just say undies?”
“Saying panties felt too weird and it just popped out.” She nudged him with her hip. “I’ll say undies until—” Her eyes widened as they rounded the aisle and literally ran their cart into her ex. Kurt.
He was with Vanessa and their baby, looking all happy, and ugh. Of course she was wearing a silly headband with a cart full of juvenile foods. Whatever.
“Kurt.” His name popped out before she could stop herself. But she couldn’t force a smile at either of them. They didn’t deserve any of her warmth.
“Clover.” He looked genuinely surprised as he looked between the two of them. And he was definitely judging her food choices, given his expression.
God, he was so boring, something she hadn’t realized until far too late.
“Nice to see you, Clover,” Vanessa said neutrally as their baby started fussing.
She noticed that Kurt didn’t make a move to get him out of his car seat, just let Vanessa take over and start comforting him. She made an apologetic sound and walked farther down the aisle as she started soothing him.
“Kurt, this is Micah. Micah, Kurt.” She made the introductions mostly because she couldn’t think of a polite way to escape.
She knew she didn’t have to be polite, but acting like a jerk in Walmart just made her look bad.
And okay, she knew it would make her feel icky too. She could be civil for a few minutes.
Micah eyed the man with clear judgment and she smothered a smile. “Cute baby. How old?”
“Ah, six months.”
“Congrats,” she said, because again, she had no idea what to say to this man who’d been a chapter in her life for far too long. Though looking at him now, she couldn’t remember what she’d ever seen in him. Next to Micah, the guy was dry toast.
“Thanks. So—”
“It looks like your wife needs your help,” Micah said, smoothly cutting him off. “Something a stranger shouldn’t have to tell you.” Then he steered the cart around Kurt in an equally smooth manner with his hand on the small of Clover’s back.
She moved on autopilot but couldn’t stop the way her mouth fell open as they turned down another aisle. “That was rude.” But awesome too.
Micah’s grin was a little feral. “I don’t care. He didn’t even try to help his wife. And he hurt you. So.” He shrugged.
“So you were rude to him?” she asked as they stepped into the clothing section. Luckily it wasn’t that busy so she had time to go through everything and find the right sizes.
“Is what I said untrue?”
“Well no.”
“Then it wasn’t rude. But for the record, I can’t believe you dated that tool.”
“Did you just say tool? That’s a grandpa word.”
“If you get to say undies, I get to say tool.” His tone was dry as he steered them into the women’s clothing section.
“Fair enough. I can’t believe I dated him either. On top of the cheating thing, he was so boring.”
“Boring?”
“Yes! Oh my god, so dull. After what my parents had, I thought stable was a good thing. And don’t get me wrong, I like stable. I don’t want to date some mess who can’t pay his bills. But he was just… He made me feel like I was too much.” Hindsight was a real bitch.
“Too much?” Micah frowned, then tapped one of the bouncy shamrocks attached to her headband.
“Oh yeah. He would have been so embarrassed to be next to me while I wore one of these in public.” She rolled her eyes. “He probably got secondhand embarrassment with me being so close to him.”
“For the record, you’re not too much. You’re perfect.” His gaze strayed to her mouth for one charged moment she felt all the way to her core.
For a second she thought he might make a move right in the middle of Walmart, but then he turned away and picked up what was essentially a nightshirt that belonged in a Dickens novel. “What about this?”
“Oh my god, no. Is that what you wear to bed?” She shuddered and put it back. “They’ve been through a lot so they’re getting something cute.”
“For the record, I don’t wear anything to bed.” His tone was deep, delicious, and it didn’t take much for her to picture him naked after that confession.
Something she’d thought about oh, say a hundred times or more.
But she’d already turned away from him, picked up a long-sleeved pajama set with cherries and lemons all over them.
Her cheeks flushed hot but she refused to turn around and make eye contact with him. Even so she swore she could feel his heated gaze boring into her back.
She wondered what would happen if she made a move on him. She knew all the reasons not to get involved with Micah, had tried reminding herself of them over and over.
But maybe if they were smart about it, set up rules and didn’t let things get messy, they could have some fun?
Because if her ex had been a douchey, boring cheater, Micah was the exact opposite. Funny, incredibly smart and built like a god. Maybe getting tangled up with him would be worth the risk of the fallout.